Rolling ball gameboard



July 13, 1965 J. MQCUTCHEON 3,

ROLLING BALL GAMEBOARD Filed Oct. 14, 1963 United States Patent 3,1945% RGLLING BALL GAMEBQARD John MeCuteheon, 7 Riehview Side Road, RR. 1, Islington, Ontario, Canada Filed 9st. 14, 1963, See. No. 315,991 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-121) This invention relates generally to competitive games apparatus and more particularly to improvements in the form of games apparatus wherein a ball is propelled across a gameboard for the purpose of obtaining a goal,

score or the like, the ball thereafter being returned to its source generally by virtue of the gameboards being disposed at an angle to the horizontal.

A study of the prior art in the field of Rolling Ball Gameboards reveals numerous devices based on the principle of a ball or a plurality of balls being propelled, genearlly by a spring powered propulsion unit, over the surface of a gameboard which is defined on its edges by upwardly projecting walls. A wide range of scoring media is employed, this varying from the simple recess in the floor of the board to different forms of pockets and traps, such media either acting as a score or a penalty depending upon the rulings of each gameboard.

Often such boards include wired-in circuitry, the accompanying means acting as contacts to be closed or opened by the propelled ball, this making and breaking of the contacts registering an electrically controlled score panel. Still other forms are adapted for commercial use, being so constructed as to receive the insertion of coins to become operative.

While these prior devices achieve their various intended objects and functions they yet suffer from certain inherent disadvantages, including their inability to allow two players to engage each other concurrently in competitive play, most of these prior devices utilizing a single propulsion unit which causes the board to be monopolised by single players at all times, such players having to take turns at the board. Furthermore, many of these devices are of a relatively complex structure and while this may not be of marked importance in commercially used boards, it is a prominent feature in the gameboard intended for home amusement, cost being of paramount importance.

Having in mind therefore, the disadvantages attendent upon gameboards of the prior art and wishing to devise an improvement thereon, it is a main object of the instant invention to provide a rolling ball game board referred to hereinafter by the term Gameboard which enables two players to engage each other in competitive play, both players being active concurrently.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a gameboard which although being relatively simple in construction and embodying a minimum of component parts is nevertheless of such a character as to provide a high level of interest, competition and amusement.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a gameboard, the propelled ball used therewith always returning to either one or the other of the players at the end of its travel.

Yet another object of this invention seeks to provide a gameboard which lends itself to a wide range of scoring systems, such systems being variable at the will of the players.

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A yet further object of my invention provides a gameboard which, due to its construction and readily varied scoring systems may be used both by the very young and the adult player.

Still a further object of the instant invention resides in providing a gameboard of the character herein described which while embodying the aforementioned features and advantages, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The above and various other pertinent objects and features of my invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of parts and assemblies, and when taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views, and in which:

PEG. 1 is a perspective view of a gameboard embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inventionillustrated in FIG. 1 showing particularly the dispositions of the ball propulsion devices.

FIG. 3 is a part cut-away sectional side elevation of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 2 and taken on the line 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a detailed, side elevation view of a ball propulsion device used in the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a gameboard generally designated by the arrow 1% includes a flat playing surface ill of substantially rectangular configuration, surface 11 being defined by a perpendicularly upwardly extending forward wall 12, two similarly disposed side walls 13 and 14 and an arcuate rear wall 15, wall 15 being, in effect, a semicircular continuation of side walls 13 and 14, all of the said walls serving to retain a game ball 16 therewithin.

An inner wall having an upper section 17 and a lower section 18 is secured to playing surface 11 and disposed in parallel spaced apart relationship to side wall 13 and part of rear wall 15. Similarly a further inner Wall having an upper section 19 and a lower section 29 is also secured to playing surface 11 and disposed in parallel spaced apart relationship to side wall 14 and part of rear Wall 15.

It will be readily seen that the disposition of the aforementioned walls upon the surface 11 of gameboard It) provides channels or ramps 21 and 22 on either side of surface l]. and a ramp 23 at the upper arcuate portion of surface 11, such ramps being adapted to guide game ball 16 during play.

Spring loaded ball propulsion devices 24 and 25 are mounted in the base portions of ramps 21 and 22 respectively and are adapted for operation in the manner conventional to such mechanisms.

During play, one of the competitors propels game ball 16 by means of his particular propulsion device, ball 16 eing shot upwardly of the pertinent ramp until it enters the arcuate ramp 23. Upon the velocity of game ball 16 being too great it will proceed to travel through ramp 23. Thereafter rolling down the opposite ramp and onto the other players propulsion device.

It will be seen that an aperture as is formed centrally of the arcuate section of surface 11, aperture 2% dividing upper sections 3.7 and 19 of the inner walls. As aperture 26 is larger than the diameter of game ball 16, it will permit passage thereof therethrough, provided that ball 16 is propelled at the optimum velocity and thereby loses its forward momentum just above aperture 26. Aperture 26 acts as a goal and whomsoever of the two players succeeds in causing game ball 26 to pass therethrough will have achieved a score.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a pair of arcuate guide rails 27 and 28 disposed in an inverted V configuration is afiixed to playing surface 11 and has its apex in line with, and located a small distance below, the exact centre of aperture 26. The downwardly curving legs 27 and 28 respectively each make contact with and are affixed to the upper terminal ends of lower sections 1% and 2d of the inner walls of gameboard lit, thereby defining apertures 29 and 3t). Apertures 29 and 3t? are dimensionally similar to aperture 26 and will therefore allow passage of game ball 16 therethrough.

, Thus, it will be seen that upon game ball 16 passing through aperture 26 it may travel down either side of the inverted V configuration, this being decided by luclr rather than by a players skill. Upon game ball 16 striking and being guided by the rail 23 nearest a players position at gameboard it will be guided back through the pertinent aperture 29 and 3t? and repositioned before '7 V his propulsion device, whereafter he may take a further bonus shot.

However, should game ball 16 be guided by the rail 27 furthest away from the player it will then position itself before his opponents device.

Playing surface 11 of gameboardltiis supported by a I plurality of leg members 31, leg members 31 being affixed to the underside thereof anddirectly beneath the corner sections. A further leg 32 having a length slightly in excessof legs 31 is afiixed to the underside of playing surface it and is located centrally of and substantially toward the rear of gameboard lit). Thus, upon gameboard It being placed upon a horizontal surface, the rearward section thereof will be elevated thereby disposing playing'surface 11 at a slight angle to the horizontal as shown in FIG. 3.

Game ball 16 will therefore always return to the lower portion of playing surface 11 due to gravity, whether or notthe player making the shot achieves a score.

The general design of the individual parts of the invention as explained above may be varied according to the requirements of manufacture and production thereof while still remaining within the spirit and principle of my invention without prejudicing the novelty thereof.

The embodiments of this invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A rolling ball gameboard wherein means are provided for propelling said ball over a surface and comprising: a playing surface having a forward end and rearward end, said surface being inclined, whereby said rearward end is uppermost; a pair of side walls; a curved rear wall, being a continuation of said side walls; a forward wall across said forward end to join said side walls, whereby all said walls define the limits of said playing surface; a pair of ball projecting mechanisms secured to the opposite end of said forward wall, and oriented so as to project said ball parallel with one said side wall and closely adjacent thereto, said ball being projected toward said curved rear wall to be deflected thereby towards the center; a pair of inner walls spaced inwardly from said side walls to define ramps therebetween and continuing forwardly to follow parallel with said curved rear wall and terminating at a position substantially midway of said curved rear wall to define a gap therebetween through which said ball can pass upon being deflected rearward end, said surface being inclined, whereby said rearward end is uppermost; a pair of side walls; a curved rear wall, being a continuation of said side walls, said .curve being substantially semi-circular; a forward wall across said forward end to join said side walls, whereby all said walls define the limits of said playing surface; a pair of ball projecting mechanisms secured, to the opposite end of said forward wall, and oriented so as to project said ball parallel with one said side wall and closelyadjacent thereto, said ball being projected toward said curved rear wall to be deflected thereby towards the center; a pair of inner walls spacediriwardly from said side walls to define ramps therebetween and continuing with said curved rear wall and terminating at a position substantially mid-way of said curved rear wallto define a gap therebetween through which said ball can pass upon being deflected from said rear wall and guided by one of said inner walls; a pair of curved rails having a comrnon apex located substantially centrally of saidgap and forwardly therefrom, said rails extending forwardly to either side of said surface to terminate at said inner walls to define the position of a passage in each said inner wall, whereby said ball can be returned to either of said ramps by said rails upon passage through said gap, thereby re turning said ball to one or the other of said projecting mechanisms.

3. A rolling ball garneboard wherein means are pro-' vided for propelling said ball over a surface and comprising: a playing surface having a forward end and a rearward end, said surface being inclined, whereby said rearbeing substantially semi-circular; a forward wall across said forward end to join said side walls,'whereby all said Walls define the limits of said playing surface; a ball on said surface and confined thereon by said walls; a pair of ball projecting mechanisms secured to the opposite end of said forward wall, and oriented so as to project said ball parallel with one said side wall and closely adjacent thereto, said ball being projected toward said curved rear wall to be deflected therebytowards the center; a pair of inner walls spaced inwardly from said side walls to define ramps therebetween and continuing forwardly to follow parallel with said curved rear wallandterminating at a position substantially mid-way of said curved rear wall to define a gap therebetween through which said ball can pass upon being deflected from said rear wall and guided by one of said inner walls; and a pair of curvedrails having a common apex located substantially centrally of said gap and forwardly therefrom, said rails extending forwardly toeither side of said surface to terminate at said inner walls to define the position of a passage in each said inner wall, whereby said ball can be returned to either of said ramps by said rails upon passage through said gap, thereby returning said ball to one or the other of said projecting mechanisms.

4. A rolling ball gameboard wherein means are provided for propelling said ball over a surface and comprising: a playing surface having a'forward end and'a rearward end, said surface being inclined, whereby said rearward end is uppermost; a pair of side walls; a curved rear wall, being a continuation of said side walls, said curve being substantially semi-circular; a forward wall across said forward end to join said side wall, whereby all said walls define the limits of said playing surface; a

ball on said surface and confined thereon by said walls;

, 1y adjacent thereto, said ball being projected toward said curved rear wall to be deflected thereby towards the center; a pair of inner walls spaced inwardly from said side walls to define ramps therebetween and continuing forwardly to follow parallel with said curved rear wall and terminating at a position substantially mid-way of said curved rear wall to define a gap therebetween through which said ball can pass upon being deflected from said rear wall and guided by one of said inner walls; a pair of curved rails having a common apex located substantially centrally of said gap and forwardly therefrom, said rails extending forwardly to either side of said surface to terminate at said inner walls to define the position of a passage in each said inner wall, whereby said ball can be returned to either of said ramps by said rails upon passage through said gap, thereby returning said ball to one or the other of said projecting mechanisms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

3. A ROLLING BALL GAMEBOARD WHEREIN MEANS ARE PROVIDED FOR PROPELLING SAID BALL OVER A SURFACE AND COMPRISING: A PLAYING SURFACE HAVING A FORWARD END AND A REARWARD END, SAID SURFACE BEING INCLINED, WHEREBY SAID REARWARD END IS UPPERMOST; A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS; A CURVED REAR WALL, BEING A CONTINUATION OF SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID CURVE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CIRCULAR; A FORWARD WALL ACROSS SAID FORWARD END TO JOIN SAID SIDE WALLS, WHEREBY ALL SAID WALLS DEFINE THE LIMITS OF SAID PLAYING SURFACE; A BALL ON SAID SURFACE AND CONFINED THEREON BY SAID WALLS; A PAIR OF BALL PROJECTING MECHANISMS SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID FORWARD WALL, AND ORIENTED SO AS TO PROJECT SAID BALL PARALLEL WITH ONE SAID SIDE WALL AND CLOSELY ADJACENT THERETO, SAID BALL BEING PROJECTED TOWARD SAID CURVED REAR WALL TO BE DEFLECTED THEREBY TOWARDS THE CENTER; A PAIR OF INNER WALLS SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID SIDE WALLS TO DEFINE RAMPS THEREBETWEEN AND CONTINUING FORWARDLY TO FOLLOW PARALLEL WITH SAID CURVED REAR WALL AND TERMINATING AT A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY MID-WAY OF SAID CURVED REAR WALL TO DEFINE A GAP THEREBETWEEN THROUGH WHICH SAID BALL CAN PASS UPON BEING DEFLECTED FROM SAID REAR WALL AND GUIDED BY ONE OF SAID INNER WALLS; AND A PAIR OF CURVED RAILS HAVING A COMMON APEX LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY OF SAID GAP AND FORWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID RAILS EXTENDING FORWARDLY TO EITHER SIDE OF SAID SURFACE TO TERMINATE AT SAID INNER WALLS TO DEFINE THE POSITION OF A PASSAGE IN EACH SAID INNER WALL, WHEREBY SAID BALL CAN BE RETURNED TO EITHER OF SAID RAMPS BY SAID RAILS UPON PASSAGE THROUGH SAID GAP, THEREBY RETURNING SAID BALL TO ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID PROJECTING MECHANISMS. 